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Business segment data - Additional tabular disclosures (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Sep. 30, 2025 | Sep. 30, 2024 | Sep. 30, 2025 | Sep. 30, 2024 | Dec. 31, 2024 | Dec. 31, 2023
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | $ 1,261 | $ 1,214 | $ 3,771 | $ 3,760 |  |
Income tax expense (benefit) |  | 7,241 | 6,028 | 10,010 | 16,541 |  |
Depreciation and amortization |  | 3,333 | 3,206 | 9,927 | 9,572 |  |
Goodwill | [1] | 84,525 |  | 84,525 |  | $ 83,880 | $ 84,626
Assets |  | 1,225,963 |  | 1,225,963 |  | 1,153,881 |
Business Segments [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | 1,327 | 1,272 | 3,952 | 3,712 |  |
Income tax expense (benefit) |  | 2,258 | 1,967 | 6,373 | 6,497 |  |
Capital expenditures |  | 5,586 | 4,701 | 14,725 | 13,629 |  |
Depreciation and amortization |  | 3,166 | 3,051 | 9,454 | 9,103 |  |
Goodwill |  | 84,525 |  | 84,525 |  | 83,880 |
Identifiable assets |  | 998,206 |  | 998,206 |  | 932,848 |
Business Segments [Member] | Insurance Group [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income tax expense (benefit) |  | 1,329 | 1,212 | 3,560 | 3,826 |  |
Capital expenditures |  | 30 | 10 | 65 | 59 |  |
Depreciation and amortization |  | 112 | 94 | 329 | 292 |  |
Goodwill |  | 16,557 |  | 16,557 |  | 16,557 |
Identifiable assets |  | 593,230 |  | 593,230 |  | 539,884 |
Business Segments [Member] | BNSF [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | 279 | 275 | 821 | 807 |  |
Income tax expense (benefit) |  | 463 | 463 | 1,195 | 1,234 |  |
Capital expenditures |  | 998 | 1,024 | 2,597 | 2,779 |  |
Depreciation and amortization |  | 684 | 644 | 2,034 | 1,964 |  |
Goodwill |  | 15,351 |  | 15,351 |  | 15,351 |
Identifiable assets |  | 81,537 |  | 81,537 |  | 80,813 |
Business Segments [Member] | Berkshire Hathaway Energy ("BHE") [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | 658 | 630 | 1,968 | 1,900 |  |
Income tax expense (benefit) |  | (606) | (708) | (1,385) | (1,535) |  |
Capital expenditures |  | 2,954 | 2,108 | 7,527 | 6,236 |  |
Depreciation and amortization |  | 1,035 | 997 | 3,118 | 2,979 |  |
Goodwill |  | 11,756 |  | 11,756 |  | 11,669 |
Identifiable assets |  | 134,614 |  | 134,614 |  | 128,276 |
Business Segments [Member] | Manufacturing Businesses [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | 303 | 264 | 886 | 657 |  |
Income tax expense (benefit) |  | 768 | 726 | 2,080 | 2,137 |  |
Capital expenditures |  | 646 | 669 | 1,956 | 2,028 |  |
Depreciation and amortization |  | 606 | 614 | 1,828 | 1,828 |  |
Goodwill |  | 28,273 |  | 28,273 |  | 27,716 |
Identifiable assets |  | 122,969 |  | 122,969 |  | 119,860 |
Business Segments [Member] | Pilot [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | 53 | 69 | 174 | 246 |  |
Income tax expense (benefit) |  | (3) | 18 | 60 | 45 |  |
Capital expenditures |  | 233 | 174 | 691 | 570 |  |
Depreciation and amortization |  | 266 | 254 | 783 | 750 |  |
Goodwill |  | 6,477 |  | 6,477 |  | 6,477 |
Identifiable assets |  | 19,192 |  | 19,192 |  | 19,652 |
Business Segments [Member] | McLane [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | 6 | 4 | 19 | 14 |  |
Income tax expense (benefit) |  | 42 | 38 | 130 | 114 |  |
Capital expenditures |  | 48 | 60 | 115 | 139 |  |
Depreciation and amortization |  | 50 | 50 | 146 | 149 |  |
Goodwill |  | 232 |  | 232 |  | 232 |
Identifiable assets |  | 7,344 |  | 7,344 |  | 7,165 |
Business Segments [Member] | Service and Retailing [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | 28 | 30 | 84 | 88 |  |
Income tax expense (benefit) |  | 265 | 218 | 733 | 676 |  |
Capital expenditures |  | 677 | 656 | 1,774 | 1,818 |  |
Depreciation and amortization |  | 413 | 398 | 1,216 | 1,141 |  |
Goodwill |  | 5,879 |  | 5,879 |  | 5,878 |
Identifiable assets |  | 39,320 |  | 39,320 |  | 37,198 |
Segment Reconciling Items [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Investment gains (losses), tax |  | 4,622 | 4,325 | 4,611 | 9,801 |  |
Equity method investments, tax |  | 54 | 23 | (1,105) | 143 |  |
Goodwill |  | 84,525 |  | 84,525 |  | 83,880 |
Corporate, Eliminations and Other [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest expense |  | (66) | (58) | (181) | 48 |  |
Income tax expense (benefit) |  | 307 | (287) | 131 | 100 |  |
Depreciation and amortization |  | 167 | $ 155 | 473 | $ 469 |  |
Identifiable assets |  | $ 143,232 |  | $ 143,232 |  | $ 137,153 |
[1] | Net of accumulated goodwill impairm ents o f $11.5 billion as of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024 and $11.1 billion as of December 31, 2023.

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